2015-16 record: 48-26-8 (104 points)
Won the Stanley Cup
Captain: Sidney Crosby
Stop if you've heard this before: the Pittsburgh Penguins struggled out of the gate despite high expectations, replaced their head coach in the middle of the season, began to play like winners, and would go on to win the Stanley Cup at the end of the season. Believe it or not, that's been the narrative of the last two times the Penguins have won the Stanley Cup, including last season. This season, they would love to repeat the narrative of 1991 and 1992, when they repeated as champions.
Despite being one of the bigger names in the league, Sidney Crosby remains a polarizing figure among fans, but you don't need to be a fan to see that he really does make his teammates better, a fact rewarded by his Conn Smythe winning performance in the playoffs. His best came when the supporting cast kept changing due to call-ups from the AHL. A healthier Evgeni Malkin will make the Penguins even more dangerous offensively, especially now that there is a viable third scoring line consisting of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino, and Phil Kessel. The offense begins from the stick of Kris Letang, and with Trevor Daley as another option, offense will once again be a strength. Defensively, the Penguins were just outside the top five, and the only loss there was Ben Lovejoy. However, depth should not be a problem. In goal is where things get interesting, as it has been Marc-Andre Fleury's crease for a while, but injuries opened the door for Matt Murray, who carried the mail there en route to the Cup. Now, the question is who to go with, as both are proven in key situations. The power play was only middle of the pack, but having a full season of Mike Sullivan behind the bench should help a little while the penalty kill will look to repeat their performance, as they finished fifth.
Prediction: 2nd in the Metropolitan Division
Much of the cast that was on the ice for the Stanley Cup presentation returns, and Sullivan will have a full season to further implement his system. The pressure of repeating will loom, but if there is a team that has the potential to do it, Pittsburgh is it.
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